Get Involved
with Project Exploration
Get in the Loop
Subscribe to Project Exploration’s e-newsletter or follow us on social media to receive realtime updates and learn how to get involved.
Expand the menu below to sign up for our e-newsletter. We will not spam you nor share your information without your consent, and you may unsubscribe at anytime. Expect 1-2x monthly communications with stories about what is happening at PE and how you can support our mission.
If you choose the option “I represent an organization that advances STEM education,” we will also include you on our 1-2x monthly e-newsletter for the Chicago STEM Pathways Cooperative (STEM Co-op). The STEM Co-op is the initiative under Project Exploration which convenes cross-sector stakeholders in Chicago’s STEM ecosystem to identify and address barriers to high-quality STEM education in Chicago, Illinois, and beyond.
Get in the Loop
Project Exploration’s Social Media Channels
PE is on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Click the icons to join our communities on social media.
STEM Co-op Social Channels
The STEM Co-op is on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Click the icons to join our STEM Co-op partners on social media.
Volunteer
It takes a village to maintain our program spaces and inspire the next generation of STEM professionals to reach their full potential! Work with our team to find a volunteer opportunity that works with your busy schedule. Whether you join Project Exploration for a one-time or regular volunteer engagement, your contributions will directly further our mission. Opportunities include:
- leading hands-on STEM activities with our students
- introducing new careers/STEM opportunities to young people
- mentoring individual youth
- hosting field trips
- supporting students at events
- serving as panelists at semester-end showcases
- and more!
Join PE’s Board or Associate Board
Project Exploration is always looking to welcome new, outstanding leaders to our Board of Directors and Associate Board. If you are interested in supporting the strategic direction of Project Exploration and feel your skills could be an asset to our team, we would love to hear from you.
In short, members of the Board of Directors are expected to advise, govern, oversee policy and direction, and assist with the leadership and general promotion of Project Exploration to support the organization’s mission and needs in accordance with the by-laws. The commitment is 2 years and requirements include:
- $2,500 give or get annual contribution
- Board meetings 6 times annually (every other month), on the third Wednesday of the month at 8:30 am CT
- Special events, upon request and as often as able
- Participate on a standing committee of the board, and serve on ad-hoc committees as necessary.
- Actively advocate for Project Exploration and seek opportunities to help bring resources into the organization.
- Help communicate and promote Project Exploration’s mission and programs to the community.
Associate Board members are young professionals who want to lend their support to our mission while gaining leadership experience and learning about what it takes to sit on a nonprofit board. Duties may include:
- $250 give or get annual contribution
- Attending up to 75% of meetings, held 10 times annually
- Participating in youth-focused and fundraising events
- Helping grow PE’s donor base
- Recruiting and engaging donors and volunteers
- Managing internal projects or campaigns
Board Interest Form
Work for PE
We are always interested in talking to outstanding STEM and teaching professionals who may be interested in joining our talented team. Part-time positions are available all-year-round for candidates who want to deliver programs to our K-12 students in the out-of-school time setting or during school breaks.
Programs led by STEM Facilitators provide students with hands-on, authentic experiences that will build scientific skills, fuel curiosity, and encourage students to identify themselves as scientists with hands-on science experiments that demonstrate the power and versatility of scientific inquiry. STEM Facilitators are expected to work in a trauma-informed, collaborative manner with PE’s Program Managers, students, and their families as they lead programs, field trips, and prepare for a culminating event or Reflection of Knowledge in which students share what they learned.
Full-time position openings are posted to our LinkedIn account and are filled on a needs basis. Follow us on LinkedIn to be the first to know about career opportunities with PE.
Partner with Us
Project Exploration and our youth benefit from the contributions and support of many outstanding corporate, foundation, and community partners. Partner opportunities include hosting students on field trips, lending employees to volunteer, providing curriculum support, leading hands-on STEM activities with our youth, providing event sponsorship and support, in-kind donations of supplies and equipment, and more. Current partners include, but are not limited to:
- Boeing
- Motorola Solutions Foundation
- Amazon
- Verizon
- James Dyson Foundation
- Chicago Foundation for Women
- Department of Family Support Services
- Northwestern University Office of Community Engagement Partnerships
- DePaul University
- City Colleges of Chicago
- Lincoln Park Zoo
- Shedd Aquarium
- RUSH Education and Career Hub (REACH)
- Chicago Public Schools
- Chicago Park District
- ACT NOW Illinois
- and more!
Ensuring the mutual benefits of partnerships is of great importance to our team and we hope to find the right opportunity with your team! Schedule an exploration meeting with PE’s team to discuss your ideas and explore possibilities, or complete the inquiry form below:
Board Interest Form
Provide In-Kind Support
Project Exploration maintains a wishlist of supplies and equipment supporters can purchase which we can use in our programs and/or provide to students as incentives and prizes. Browse our Wish List.
Gently used office/classroom furnishings, equipment (e.g. 3D printers, computers, cameras, laboratory glassware, tools, etc.), and supplies (paper, writing utensils, specimens, etc.) may also be put to good use. Please complete the form below to share what items you may have that could be of interest to PE.
Donate Goods
Make a Donation
Monetary donations provide PE with the flexibility to respond immediately to the growing and changing needs of our youth. Project Exploration has provided transformative learning opportunities to 35,000 Chicago youth since 1999 and our efforts work! A ten year longitudinal study revealed that our students are three times more likely to enroll in a four-year college than their peers, and over one-third of PE alumni major in a STEM-related discipline. With your help, we can ensure continued, equitable access to STEM programs and careers for 700 Chicago students this year. Your contributions provide:
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Program supplies and equipment
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Talented program facilitators to bring high-quality, hands-on STEM programs to our students
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Professional development opportunities for our facilitators
- Transportation for students and instructors to get to our program spaces and go on field trips
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Student incentives and prizes to keep explorers engaged
- Field trip opportunities to young people
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Capacity to sustainably respond to the growing and changing needs of South and Westside families
- And more!
PE seeks to raise $100,000 from new individual donors this year and we hope you’ll join us in helping our young people reach their full potential. Please learn more about our impact and make a donation today:
